| « |
April 2007 |
» |
 |
| S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| 8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
| 15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
| 22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
| 29 |
30 |
|
My Research Journal
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
CAL paper writing
Mood:
 cool
Now Playing: Radha Kaise Na Jale (Lagaan)
Topic: Thesis writing
(Technically not thesis writing) Well I'm back again from vacation and I'm hurriedly trying to put together my paper for the Computers and education journal and it seems to be taking forever, because I don't know how to write a methodology paper it was so much easier writing the PME paper since that was more a typical research report paper. Anyway, slugging away at it - waiting to see if Jonathan is going to be writing anything to contribute to the paper. Hopefully he checked his email!
Posted by prejudice
at 11:01 AM BST
Friday, 30 March 2007
CAL conference
Mood:
 a-ok
Now Playing: Tujh Pe Gagan Se (Chalte Chalte)
Topic: Seminars
Well, I'm back from Dublin after the CAL conference. Dublin was great - the CAL conference was OK. Well, not so great for me because there weren't a lot of seminars on my area. There were quite a lot on development (which I found myself going to) and on mobile technologies. My presentation went alright - I presented on remote observation - so was still along the theme of the conference. One person from the conference has asked me for a copy of my presentation - so I think that bodes well and have spoken to Ann (from Computing) about it as well ... and I think she might just be interested in doing that. Our poster (the research blogging) was well received - people were interested. At the moment, trying to hurriedly put together a conference abstract for CADGME - but mightn't get any comments from James since I was supposed to send it this morning and he is oft to a conference this afternoon. Oh well ... got Gill to give it a read ... so, even so would have gotten some comments.
Posted by prejudice
at 5:22 PM BST
Friday, 16 March 2007
Excel VBA Programming
Mood:
 d'oh
Now Playing: Jab Tu Muskarati Hai (Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche)
Topic: LP Software
Well, I'm still working on the Excel spreadsheet programming - taking a bit longer than I expected. Technically speaking it is finished - however, need to make it attractive looking and easy for students to enter the data and prepare the sheets for the different problems (still go to do that) and then test these out - and I need to do this ASAP!!! My timeline was to finish by next Friday (but don't think I'll be able to) .. probably the two days I have here when I come back from Dublin I can do something - hope so. That means setting up the appointments and making sure they work. I think I will need at least need three persons, one for each software. Well, will see how it goes.
Posted by prejudice
at 5:07 PM BST
Friday, 9 March 2007
Instructional Materials
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)
Topic: Methodology
Well, this morning I was putting together the instructional materials for the linear programming and it is 4 pages long!! I wonder if that is too long ... and wonder if linear programming is too complex of a topic. Of course I understand it perfectly :). Anyway, awaiting to see what Doug says about it.
Posted by prejudice
at 1:38 PM GMT
Friday, 2 March 2007
Latin Square Design
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: Chaand Sitare (Kaho Naa Pyar Hai)
Topic: Methodology
Well, I showed my experimental design to John, and I told him that Doug and James were concerned about sequencing effects and John suggested I used a Latin Square design. He even photocopied a chapter on it for me! However, the one he siad will work, cannot possibly work since it assumes that my tasks within my problems are independent which they're not! I want the students to do all three problems and all three tasks (i.e. 9 things in all) - the Latin square only allows them to do 3, which is not good at all. I haven't broached this with John as yet, but during our discussion he indicated that I would have to check n see if there is any interaction between the tasks and the main groups and if there is, then this will represent a sequencing effect (I think!) and the same when I do the problems. Hoepfully, I understand what that means when I come to analyse it. In the meantime trying to programme the linear programming software in Excel, and it is proving to be very draining and also, the software I'm developing are not in anyway flexible which I hope won't be a problem.
Posted by prejudice
at 11:52 AM GMT
Wednesday, 21 February 2007
I think I might have figured out my main study
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: Dekha Tujhe To (Koyla)
Topic: Main Study
Well, although the main study is a bit mangled I think I may have figured out what I might be doing - although having a meeting this afternoon with Doug, so, we will see whether I've actually figured this out. One of the things that I'm moving away from is not finding conceptual and procedural tasks as such don't have to worry too much about whether these tasks can measure conceptual and procedural knowledge as it is classically known. Instead, I'm going to look to see how problems I've defined using Galbraith and Haines taxonomy being able to bring about conceptual thinking .... all, I need now is perhaps a coding scheme for conceptual and procedural knowledge - but very loosely defined I think! Because I'm not sure whether to narrow it down to conceptual knowledge in maths alone or conceptual knowledge at a wide level, in other words, more of a problem-based solving ... well, just some thoughts.
Posted by prejudice
at 10:56 AM GMT
Friday, 16 February 2007
Maths-Computing analysis
Mood:
 don't ask
Now Playing: The Campfire Has Gone Out (Don Edwards)
Topic: Data Analysis
Well ... still getting pretty frustrated looking for tasks that can measure conceptual knowledge, as most of them seem to love linking multiple representations particularly graphs!! Well, never mind that and this never-ending literature that seems to love high-school and primary school examples if I see one more example on division and fractions ... I swear I'm going to scream. Anyway, since multiple representations (as in CAS) are linked to conceptual knowledge and this is sometimes called meaningful learning and that is linked to deep approach, I got to thinking why not check and see if the deep approach scores were different for the three types of software (I did do this analysis but had no idea what it really meant at the time) and sure enough, the CAS came up higher for the Deep Approach Score and lower for the Surface Approach Score. I'm guessing perhaps it has to do something with multiple representations - or perhaps no relationship at all!
Posted by prejudice
at 11:50 AM GMT
Monday, 12 February 2007
Conceptual and Procedural knowledge
Mood:
 hug me
Now Playing: Sweet Caroline (Frank Sinatra)
Topic: Analytical Frameworks
Well, doug and James suggested I go back and decide what kind of LP problems I can formulate to measure conceptual and procedural knowledge ... and the problem is ... I don't know how!! First of all I don't understand what procedural (ok I know that one) but I don't know what conceptual knowledge is in relationship to LP!!! The literature often talks about connecting different pieces of knowledge (and this usually means different types of representation of materials such as in graphs, algebra, matrices etc) ... but I don't want to get into that domain, that is not what I want to measure, I want to know if my BB, WB and GB helps in anyway to conceptual knowledge without the added variable of multiple representations. As far as I can see, it can only add procedural knowledge and in some conditions probably zero procedural knowledge, probably if I found one that added conceptual knowledge one can acknowledge there is a link between procedural and conceptual knowledge? Which I highly doubt there is. I'm beginning to doubt myself at the moment (I remember that was one of the stages in the PhD) whether I have a PhD researchable topic! Oh well, let's see what this week brings.
Posted by prejudice
at 2:24 PM GMT
Monday, 5 February 2007
Some random ideas
Mood:
 rushed
Now Playing: Jeene Ke Ishaare (Phir Milenge)
Topic: Data Analysis
Well, I've got to write up my remote observation study but doesn't look possible to get it done soon. Anyway, I was thinking as I go through and code, I can code them according to theoretical, rational, scholar, experimenter and thinker by Trouche (2000) for each of the students and see if it differs depending on which software they're using. I think based on my French translation (think I may have missed out some important bits), this is what the 5 things mean: Theoretical: Uses the references (notes, paper); works towards interpretation for understanding, uses analogies for proof, time spent on the calculator as a whole is medium and time spent for calculating a particular aspect is high. Rational: Uses pen/paper, uses inferences for understanding, uses demonstrations for proofs, spend limited time overall on the calculator and also spends limited time for each action it does on the calculator Thinker: Uses the calculator for its information, investigates for trying to understand, accumulates (?) knowledge for understanding, time spent on the calculator as a whole is high, but time spent on the calculator for each action is limited. Experimenter: Uses all devices for information (notes, pen/paper and calculator), compares of understanding, confronts for trying to do proofs, spends about a medium time in all on the calculator, and uses a high amount of time on the calculator Scholar: Doesn't use source of the above devices for information, investigates for understanding, gets stuck or copies when doing a proof, uses the calculator a medium amount of time, high amount of time doing the actions on the calculator
Posted by prejudice
at 10:38 AM GMT
Monday, 29 January 2007
Mathematical Task
Mood:
 crushed out
Now Playing: This Love (Maroon 5)
Topic: Methodology
(Stupid thing just asked me to load the active x control for the spelling and lost my whole post!) Anyway, as I had written before ... I was saying that I spent most of the morning looking for a mathematical task that I can convert to BB, WB and GB unfortunately most of the tasks are usually for primary and secondary school and I need one for undergraduate students. Besides that I need a task in which I can measure both conceptual and procedural knoweldge and not sure how I'm going to get one like that. I was thinking of reviewing Galbraith and Haines' problems they used to see if I can get anything from that but if I recalled they used graphs and I don't want to use graphs since that get too much into the domains of representations. Anyway, got Hiebert's book from the library on conceptual and procedural knowledge so hopefully that will give me some ideas.
Posted by prejudice
at 2:38 PM GMT
Newer | Latest | Older
|
